Eyewear with interchangable temples

ABSTRACT

A pair of glasses ( 10 ) that includes a tons frame ( 11 ) supporting a pair of lenses ( 12 ). The fame ( 11 ) includes rearwardly extending temple mounting ( 13 ) to which there is releasably attached temples ( 14 ). The temples ( 14 ) are releasably attach to the mounting ( 13 ) by means of clip assemblies ( 15 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to eyewear and more particularly to glasses having temples.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Glasses include a frame with lenses. The frame also includes extensions to which the temples are pivotally attached. Typically, the temples are at least partly formed of plastics material and are coloured.

[0003] Accordingly, if a user of the eyewear requires temples of different colours, several pieces of eyewear need to be purchased, Each piece of eyewear would have temples of a respective one of the desired colours. Clearly this is a disadvantage in respect of cost as the user needs to purchase several pieces of eyewear.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] There is disclosed herein a temple for glasses having a Ions frame with a pair of temple mounting each with a clip portion, the temple having an end extremity also with a clip portion, the temple clip portion being configured to releasably engage the frame clip portion to releasably secure the temple to the frame.

[0006] In a first preferred form the temple clip portion includes a resiliently deflectable pawl that engages within an aperture of the frame clip portion so that a user resiliently deforms the pawl to enable removal of the temple.

[0007] In an alternative preferred form, the temple clip portion includes an aperture within which there is positioned a resilient pawl of the frame clip portion

[0008] Preferably, one of the clip portions is a socket within which the other clip portion is received.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0010]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pair of glasses;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a temple attachment of the glasses of FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the temple attachment of FIG. 2;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the temple attachment of FIGS. 2 and 3;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a schematic parts exploded isometric view of an alternative temple attachment to that described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4; and

[0015]FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric view of the temple attachment of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] In FIGS. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a pair of glasses 10. The glasses 10 include a lens frame 11 supporting a pair of lenses 12. The frame 11 includes rearwardly projecting extensions (temple mounting) 13 to which the temples 14 are releasably attached. More particularly, the temples 14 are releasably attached to the extensions 13 by means of a clip assembly 15, the clip assembly 15 including clip portions 17 and 21.

[0017] The temples 14 are also attached to the frame 11 by means of a pivot 16.

[0018] Each pivot 16 includes a respected first (frame) clip portion 17 providing part of the hinge 16 by way of a flange 18 having an aperture 19. The flange 18 is located between a pair of spaced eyelets 20 of the projection 13, with a pivot pin 33 (typically a threaded fastener) passing through the eyelets 20 and aperture 19 to threadably engage the lower eyelet 20 that is threaded.

[0019] The temple 14 includes a second (temple) clip portion 21 that releasably engages the first clip portion 17 to secure the temple 14 to the extension 13.

[0020] In this embodiment, the first clip portion 17 includes a socket member 22 having an aperture 23. The second clip portion 21 includes a bayonet 24 having a resilient pawl 25, with the bayonet 24 being shaped to be received within the socket member 22. More particularly, the pawl 25 is resiliently urged to project through the aperture 23 so that the clip portion 21 is retained fixed to the clip portion 17.

[0021] As is best seen in FIG. 3, the socket 22 provides an abutment surface 26, bordering the aperture 23, that is engaged by an end surface 27 of the resilient pawl 25. Engagement of the surfaces 26 and 27 prevents removal of the temple 14. However, a user resiliently deflects the pawl 25 in the direction of the arrow 28 to enable the bayonet 24 to be withdrawn from within the socket 22.

[0022] The bayonet 24 has a leading surface 29 engages an internal surface of the socket 22 to aid in ensuring the temple 14 is inhibited from moving relative to the clip portion 17. In this regard, the temple portion 14 has an end surface 31 that abuts the surface 32 of the fist clip portion 17.

[0023] In use of the above described temples 14 a user merely buys a single frame 11 with its associated lenses 12 and a variety of temples 14 of different colours. A user then picks the temples 14 of the desired colour and attaches them to the frame 11 by means of the clip portions 17 ad 21.

[0024] In a further preferred form, the clip portions 17 and 21 are interchanged so that the clip portions 17 is part of the temple 14 and the clip portion 21 part of the frame 11.

[0025] Preferably, the clip portion 17 of FIG. 2 is formed of metal and the clip portion 21 formed of resilient plastics material.

[0026] In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is schematically depicted a clip assembly 50 that is an alternative to the clip assembly 15 of FIG. 1 to 4. Tho clip assembly 50 includes a first clip portion 17 that provides a socket body 51 to receive a bayonet 52 of a second clip portion 20. The socket body 51 is hollow so as to provide a passage 53 that communicates with an aperture 54. Extending from the aperture 54 is a slot 55 that also communicates the passage 53. The body 51 would have fixed to it a flange such as the flange 18 of FIGS. 1 to 4. Typically the body 51 would be formed of metal, with the passage 53 being square or rectangular in transverse cross-section.

[0027] The second clip portion 20 would be formed of resilient plastics material, with the bayonet 52 providing a resiliently deflectable pawl 56. The pawl 56 has an end abutment surface 57 that engages step surfaces 58 bordering the aperture 54. This retains the clip portion 20 attached to the clip portion 17 when the bayonet 52 is inserted in the passage 53, When inserting the bayonet 52 ramp surfaces 59 engage flanges 60 of the body 51 to resiliently deflect the pawl 56 to a retracted position so that the bayonet 52 can enter the passage 53. When the end portion 61 of the pawl 56 is aligned with the aperture 54, the end portion 61 moves to an extended position so that the surface 25 abuts the surfaces 26. When the clip portion 20 is to be detached from the clip portion 17, the user engages the projection 62 with their finger and depresses the pawl 56 so that the surface 57 is no longer aligned with the surfaces 58. The bayonet 52 can then be removed from within the passage 57. Movement of the pawl 56 with respect to the passage 53 is accommodated by movement of the projection 62 along the slot 55.

[0028] In respect of the clip assembly 50 it should be appreciated the projection 62 projects above the top surface 63 of the body 51 so that it is easily engaged and depressed by a user's finger. To provide a secure rigid attachment between the clip portions 17 and 20, he clip portion 20 has a ridge 64 that slidably engages within the slot 55. 

1. A temple for glasses having a lens frame with a pair of temple mountings each with a frame clip portion, the temple having an end extremity also with a clip portion, the temple clip portion being configured to releasably engage the fame clip portion to releasably secure the temple to the frame.
 2. The temple of claim 1 wherein the temple clip portion includes a resiliently deflectable pawl that engages within an aperture of the frame clip portion so that a user resiliently deforms the pawl to enable removal of die temple.
 3. The temple of claim 1 wherein the temple clip portion includes an aperture within which there is to be positioned a resilient pawl of the frame clip portion.
 4. The temple of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the temple clip portions is a projection to be received within a socket of the frame clip portion.
 5. The temple of claim 1, wherein the frame clip portion includes a socket with a clip aperture, and said temple clip portion includes a bayonet to be received within said socket, which bayonet includes a resilient pawl to engage with said aperture to releasably secure the temple clip portion to the frame clip portion.
 6. The temple of claim 5, wherein said resilient pawl includes a projection to be engaged by a user's finger to deflect the pawl to a position enabling withdrawal of the bayonet from within the socket.
 7. Eyewear including: a lens frame with a pair of temple mountings; a temple for each mounting; a clip assembly releasably attaching each temple to its respective mounting.
 8. The eyewear of claim 7, wherein each clip assembly includes: a first clip portion providing a socket and a second clip portion including a bayonet releasably secured in the socket.
 9. The eyewear of claim 8, wherein the first clip portion includes an aperture and the second clip portion a resilient pawl engaged within the aperture to releasably secure the second portion to the first portion.
 10. The eyewear of claim 9, wherein the first portion includes a slot extending to said aperture, and said pawl includes a projection to pass along said slot and which is engaged by a user to move the pawl to a position enabling withdrawal of the bayonet from within the socket.
 11. The eyewear of claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein each first clip potion is pivotally attached to an associated one of the mountings.
 12. The eyewear of any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the it clip portion is formed of metal and the second clip portion formed of resilient plastics material. 